Photo By: Josiah Ann Nelson

Bored after class? On a strict budget? From new coffee spots and escape rooms to fall foliage and Halloween karaoke, these destinations offer JCCC students affordable, fun ways to get off campus and break out of their usual routine. 

By midterms, the semester starts to run on a loop. You go to class, you go to work, you go home, and somewhere in there the coffee that was getting you through it stops doing much of anything. 

Getting out of that routine doesn’t have to mean a drive downtown or a night out that eats half a paycheck. Johnson County and the surrounding area have independent coffee shops and bookstores, along with parks and a few less obvious places that are easy to overlook when you spend most of your time between campus and home. Some are worth a free afternoon, while others are better with a couple of friends on a weekend when nobody has a plan. 

When your coffee order needs a personality change 

Turath Coffee | 9916 College Blvd., Overland Park 

Best for: seasonal drinks, late-night studying and trying something new 

If you’ve been ordering the same drink since the first week of class, it might be time to switch things up. 

Turath Coffee is built around Middle Eastern coffee culture, from an interior that draws on Arabic heritage to a menu that goes well past the standard vanilla latte. Turkish coffee and Adeni chai sit alongside specialty drinks inspired by desserts like baklava and knafeh. 

This fall, the shop added pumpkin matcha and toasted-marshmallow matcha to go with its seasonal coffee drinks. It’s an easy way to try something new without paying for a nice dinner or committing to a whole night out. 

Turath stays open until 10 p.m. most weekdays and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, making it a good option when an afternoon study session drags into the evening. Specialty drinks run between $6 and $8, depending on size. 

For the bookworm who refuses to buy another textbook 

Half Price Books | 9622 Nall Ave., Overland Park 

Best for: solo outings, affordable browsing and finding your next read 

Sometimes the best book is the one you didn’t know you were looking for. 

Half Price Books carries used books, records and movies, making it a good place to wander without a specific purchase in mind. You might find a new favorite author, something to get you through fall break or a strange find that’s been sitting on a shelf waiting for the right person. 

The store also buys books and other media at its counter, so the stack you’ve finished with doesn’t have to keep collecting dust in your room. Bring it in, see what they’ll offer and put it toward your next read. 

It works well as a solo outing, too. There’s nothing to reserve and no group chat to coordinate. You walk in, browse for as long as you want and see what catches your eye. 

When the weather finally cooperates 

Tomahawk Creek Trail | Leawood and Overland Park 

Best for: fall walks, fresh air and free time outdoors 

Not every break from school has to cost money. 

Tomahawk Creek Trail stretches for about 12 miles through Leawood and Overland Park, giving students plenty of room to get outside after a week of staring at screens. The paved path follows the creek, with shaded stretches and scenery that changes as the leaves turn. Keep an eye out for the ducks, geese and herons that hang around the water. 

Put your headphones in for a solo reset or bring a friend along. You can take a short walk or go farther just because you have the time. Check the weather, grab a jacket and enjoy the fact that this one doesn’t require a ticket. 

For the friend group that cannot agree on a plan 

Scheels | 6503 W. 135th St., Overland Park 

Best for: browsing, exploring and an unplanned outing 

A sporting goods store isn’t the obvious pick for a free afternoon, but Scheels is less of a store and more of a place to wander. 

There’s a 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium near the entrance and a 65-foot Ferris wheel right in the middle of the building. Upstairs, you’ll find a wildlife display, and the store also has an arcade, sports simulators and a café if somebody gets hungry halfway through. It works for a group that wants to get out of the house without settling on an activity or splitting a restaurant bill. 

Go in without a plan, see what catches everyone’s attention and you might walk out with an idea for next weekend. 

For people who would rather solve a mystery than watch another movie 

Scandal in the Schoolhouse at Lanesfield Historic Site | 18745 S. Dillie Road, Edgerton 

Best for: competitive friend groups, history nerds and splitting the cost with friends 

If your group has already worked through every movie recommendation and scrolled past the same streaming rows a dozen times, put that collective brainpower to better use. 

At Lanesfield Historic Site, your group has to solve the mystery of a missing schoolmarm inside an actual one-room schoolhouse built in 1904. A costumed teacher meets you at the visitor center before you head over to work through the clues. It gives everyone something to argue about on the drive home, especially if one person was sure they had it figured out the whole time. 

A private booking costs $50 for two people or $20 per person for groups of three to eight. The experience is available by advance booking Monday through Saturday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. You’ll need to call or email the Johnson County Museum to arrange a visit. The site is in Edgerton, about a half-hour drive southwest of Overland Park, but the group pricing makes it a less expensive alternative to many commercial escape rooms. 

The places above work any time of year, but fall doesn’t last long in Kansas City. One week it’s still warm enough for shorts, and the next you’re scraping frost off your windshield before an 8 a.m. class. If you want to make the most of the season while it’s here, these next two picks lean into it. 

For when you want to make a whole afternoon of fall 

Powell Pumpkin Patch | 25695 Spring Valley Road, Louisburg 

Best for: pumpkin picking, fall photos and a weekend outing with friends 

Sometimes it’s worth leaving the suburbs for an afternoon. 

Powell Pumpkin Patch offers free admission, so students can wander through the pumpkin patch, take fall photos and look around without paying just to get through the gate. Free hayrides run on weekends, and a nature trail offers another reason to explore. Pumpkins and certain attractions cost extra, so bring spending money if you plan to take something home. 

The farm is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 31. It’s in Louisburg, about a half-hour drive south of Overland Park on U.S. 69, so it’s close enough for an afternoon trip but far enough that splitting gas with friends makes sense. 

For students who want the fall atmosphere without spending much, this is a good place to start. You can keep the outing simple or make more of it once you arrive. 

For the group that already has costumes 

Costume Karaoke at The Kingdom Bar & Grille | 12655 Antioch Road, Overland Park 

Best for: group costumes, big performances and friends who aren’t afraid of a microphone 

If you put real effort into a costume this year, it deserves more than one night of photos. 

The Kingdom Bar & Grille is hosting Costume Karaoke on Friday, Oct. 30, from 8 to 11 p.m., with prizes for both the best costume and the best karaoke performance. You can go up solo or bring the whole group. The venue says maximum effort will be rewarded, so a matching group costume and a well-rehearsed song could pay off. 

Your reminder to log off 

Getting out of the JCCC routine doesn’t have to mean spending a lot, driving across the metro or planning an entire weekend. It can be as simple as trying a pumpkin matcha, stumbling onto a book you didn’t know existed or taking a walk while the leaves turn. It might be a ride on a Ferris wheel in the middle of a sporting goods store, an afternoon at the pumpkin patch or a karaoke performance in full costume. Or it might be an hour watching your friends crack under the pressure of a ticking clock. 

There’s a whole community outside the classroom. Most of the time, all it takes to find it is a little curiosity and a reason to leave the house.